


Hunting Party

by Udunie



Category: Original Work
Genre: I think it's mostly historically accurate, M/M, Prehistoric, This is as historically accurate as watching hours upon hours of documentaries could make it, cross species, if you consider Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens different species, takes place about 44000 years ago
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-05-20
Packaged: 2018-06-09 02:33:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6885571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Udunie/pseuds/Udunie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sawy woke to Vana jumping on his chest and screaming in his face.</p><p>“Snow! There’s snow! Wake up, wake up, wake up!” she shouted, banging her little fist on his forehead for good measure.</p><p>It was not the best way to wake up, but he didn’t mind, because… well. Snow. The first snow of the year, and that meant that the hunters would be leaving to meet the northern tribes, to hunt down a mammoth.</p><p>or</p><p>The one where I attempt to write a Neanderthal/Homo Sapiens prehistoric romance - that is mostly historically accurate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My eternal thanks to the lovely Emma who rolled with it when I announced that caveman banging is next on the agenda. Bless you, babe, bless you.
> 
> At present, this fic has three chapters that I will post daily. I have ideas for more, but as of now, I don't know if I want to continue it.

Sawy woke to Vana jumping on his chest and screaming in his face.

“Snow! There’s snow! Wake up, wake up, wake up!” she shouted, banging her little fist on his forehead for good measure.

It was not the best way to wake up, but he didn’t mind, because… well.  _ Snow _ . The first snow of the year, and that meant that the hunters would be leaving to meet the northern tribes, to hunt down a mammoth. To meet with Dari.

Maybe. Maybe this year they would take Sawy too.

Everyone knew what the snow meant, and the day was spent with preparations. Everyone was mending clothes, sharpening the spears. Kids kept nagging their parents about going and were turned away one by one.

Sawy didn’t ask. He was old enough to know that if his father decided that he had to stay, then he had no choice. Considering that the man didn’t call him over when he talked to the others about the route they were going to take, he didn’t have much hope.

He felt dejected. Sure, he wasn’t the best hunter. Okay, he wasn’t even a passable hunter at all. He was too small and skinny. And sort of a klutz. Not like he didn’t have other talents, but not skills that would come in handy when trying to fell animals the size of mountains.

The help came from a surprising source.

“Tobo. I think you should take Sawy this season,” his grandmother said - the oldest in their tribe. She was ancient and wise with almost fifty winters under her belt.

His father raised an eyebrow, even as Sawy held his breath. Grandmother was always the one to insist that he didn’t go out hunting, knowing very well that he wasn’t good at it.

“And why is that, mother?” his father asked, glancing at Sawy. He’d never been made to feel like he was worth less just because he wasn’t useful at killing animals, but. He would probably be dead weight on a mammoth hunt.

“Well, I imagine you will be breaking a few spears along the way. And we all know who is the best with flint.”

His father didn’t seem very impressed.

“Jona is good with flint too,” he said, which... true. Jona was only two years older than Sawy, and he was already an excellent hunter,  _ beside  _ being good with flint.

Grandmother hummed, throwing a log on the fire.

“Yes, but he’s too old to stay. Most boys his age have already made the trip once. There’s nothing against him going and seeing a bit of the world. If he stays, he will only be one more mouth to feed and we are a little short on food until you return.”

Sawy nodded, trying to simultaneously look tough enough for the journey and make puppy eyes at his father.

Tobo sighed, looking at Sawy’s mother. She smiled, nodding.

“Alright, but only if you can keep up,” his father said, and Sawy only barely held himself back from jumping around in excitement.

The party was getting ready to leave by noon, and for the first time, Sawy was going with them too. 

He was bouncing in place while everyone said their goodbyes, when Jona stepped up to him, clapping him on the back of the head and throwing a thick fur over his shoulders.

“What?” Sawy asked. That wasn’t his fur. Now that he thought about it, he didn’t actually have any clothes suited for staying outside for long in winter.

“I was hoping that father would give in this year,” his brother said, tying the fur around his neck.

“I… Thank you.”

Jona winked at him.

“Bring your flute and we’re good.”

Sawy nodded, grinning. If there was one thing for sure, this year’s mammoth hunt would not be spent in silence.

 

***

 

The trek took more than six days, but on the eve of the sixth day, they finally reached the valley where the mammoths would come, chased south by the cold. 

To say that Sawy was exhausted would have been an understatement. He was sure he only made it through the last stretch with sheer stubbornness and the terror of failure. Honestly, Jona had been carrying most of his stuff for two days now, and his brother wasn’t even out of breath. Sawy was certain that his father noticed, but he didn’t say anything. Especially not when he could spend the slim dinner with some music. It was his father’s weakness.

Sawy had never been this far from his home. Thankfully the snow kept falling lightly, just a finger of it under their feet, but the skies were turning gray and a storm seemed unavoidable.

The sight of the caves in the hillside with gently billowing smoke from their mouths was a blessing. Sawy squeezed the tiny sculpture of the Lionman on his necklace, thanking him for their safe arrival.

 

***

 

Sawy have never seen the northern people before. He knew from what the others told him that they were different, but he didn’t know what to expect.

They were surprisingly short, most of them only coming up to a little over Sawy himself, who was objectively a runt, but they looked like each of them could fell a mammoth on their own, with arms as thick as Sawy’s thigh and wide chests that screamed strength.

Now he understood why his father came to hunt with them. Even with their smaller numbers, the northern people wouldn’t have a problem with lodging their spears deep enough to kill the enormous animals.

There were only about two dozen of them - just a few more than their own group - but that was counting everyone, children and old alike, with only ten active hunters.

Even though their faces were different too - with large noses and strong eyebrows - what striked Sawy most was their colors. His family - and his people - had dark skin, like greased leather, but these people were a bit paler with startling eyes that made him think of summer skies. He’d never seen anything like that before, it was amazing.

His father was greeted at the largest cave by a man with hair like dry grass. He was the tallest of the northerns, almost as tall as his father, but twice as wide. Sawy couldn’t take his eyes off him. He looked to be in his twenties, though he had a hard time to tell for sure.

The men nodded at each other in greeting. For a second he thought there might be trouble, but then the tension fled and they hugged, patting each-other on the back.

Sawy wanted to ask his brother about the man, but was stopped by someone barrelling right into him.

“Sawy! Damn, you have grown so much!” the woman said, and it took him a moment to recognize Dari. He immediately hugged her back, gentling his hands when he realized that his sister was pregnant.

“Hi,” he said, hiding his face in her thick furs, not wanting to show that he was crying a little. He wasn’t a small boy anymore.

It has been almost two years now that she went to live with the northern people. He knew from Jona and his father that she had lost two babies since then, and his heart ached whenever he thought of her. He was grateful to have her close again.

“Father finally gave in, huh?” she asked, sounding a little choked herself. 

“Yeah.” 

She pulled away first, holding him at arm’s length. Unfortunately she was still taller, but Sawy couldn’t feel annoyed about it right now. She had been one of the better hunters of his family, it was almost a shame that she couldn’t join the party this year.

“I missed you, brother,” she smiled, kissing his forehead. “Now come, I will show you around.”

The northern people weren’t very good with words. They had their own language, but seemed to struggle with learning the one of Sawy’s family. That was okay, though. Dari was fluent in both by now, and most of their hunters spoke enough to get by.

Except for Sawy, of course.

He was intimidated at first, with all the strange faces around him, but his eyes kept going back to that big man with the straw colored hair. Dari told him it was called blond. And that the man was called Rran. He was the new leader after the previous one died during a hunt a few months before, and that explained the tense moment at the greeting. His father had probably expected to see his old friend.

Sawy could have sat with the hunters, but well… As much as he loved his family, he knew he had no real place there with all the stories of tracking and killing. And some of his cousins just loved to rib him, so it was safer to stay close to Dari and try to pick up enough of the language of the northerns to get himself understood.

“So, how are you doing?” he asked, nodding to her big belly. She smiled, seeming optimistic.

“Good, actually. I never got this far with the other two and this one… this one is strong,” she said, smoothing her hands over her bump. “It’s probably because I chose wisely this time around,” Dari told him with a grin, inclining her head towards Rran sitting by the fire. Sawy felt his eyes bulge.

“Wow. You did pick the best,” he said, before realizing what came out of his mouth. Dari laughed, eyes shining with a wicked glint.

“Oh, really? You like him?”

“I… um. I mean. I like… his eyes?” he stuttered out, looking around to make sure that nobody was around who could understand. “But, if you two are…” Most women didn’t tie themselves down to one man, but some liked to keep a steady partner.

Dari waved at him impatiently.

“It was just for the spring. He will take good care of the baby,” she said, pulling him into a one armed hug. “But who knows, maybe you can get lucky, too.”

Sawy spluttered. It wasn’t rare for men to find comfort with each-other in his tribe, but he had no idea if the northerns had the same attitude. They looked a bit scary.

Dari just kissed his cheek, pulling him deeper into the cave.

“Come on, I have to show you this  _ amazing  _ necklace my last partner gave me…”

 

***

 

Surprisingly enough, mammoth hunting was preluded with… bison hunting. It was hard to tell when the mammoths would be coming, and they had to feed the people while they waited.

Jona - of all people - managed to lose a dozen arrows and break two spears. Sawy had the suspicion that it had to do something with a particularly pretty northern girl his brother had been making eyes at.

The only good thing to come out of it was that he finally had an excuse to sit with the hunters by the fire, working on spearheads to replace the ones that got lost or chipped. It was a comforting job. Sawy loved to work with his hands. His grandmother always told him that what he missed out on hunting he made up for plentifully with his crafts. There was nobody in his tribe who could make the stone as even and sharp as he could.

The hunters left him to work, knowing that he needed to concentrate, but just sitting with them, listening to their voices and the sizzling of meat cooking over the fire was enough. He missed this sense of community in this strange, new place.

He was so focused on his task that he barely noticed Jona getting up from beside him - to find that girl and share his portion of the meat if he had to guess - but he did notice when a large body plopped down beside him.

He glanced up when he turned the stone over, stilling with surprise when he found bright blue eyes staring back at him. He could feel his face heat up, and he looked back down quickly.

Rran. He didn’t understand his own fascination with the man. Well, it wasn’t the first time that he found a man attractive, but it was never like this before; getting him all flustered and shy.

Sawy took a deep breath, and continued working. His palm got a bit sweaty, almost letting the stone slip with the heavy weight of those eyes on him, but the rhythm of the work was calming, giving him something to match his heart to.

Rran didn’t say anything, but his body was half-turned toward Sawy, eyes following every movement of his hands. There was laughter from behind them, people chatting - northern and southern alike - but it was quiet where they sat. Almost intimate.

A log broke, hissing and making the fire spit embers everywhere. Sawy almost fell of his seat, startled by a spark jumping on his wrist, burning the skin. He swore under his breath, hoping to god that the spearhead didn’t break when he dropped it.

Before he could pick it up Rran stopped him, taking his hands into his own and examining his skin. His palm was warm and large, covered in calluses. The contact made Sawy shiver.

He didn’t know what to do. A part of him wanted to yank his hands back, but another part… He swallowed, waiting until the man was done looking him over. But Rran didn’t let go of him right away, squeezing his hands gently before looking right into his eyes.

“Good hands. Take care,” he said. His voice was low and raspy and the sound of it made Sawy suck in a sharp breath.

He nodded, not finding the right words.

Rran held him for a moment longer before letting go, striding off to the dark depths of the cave.

It took a while for Sawy to remember to pick up the spearhead.


	2. Chapter 2

The mammoth hunt was terrifying. From the caves in the hillside they could see them coming from the other end of the valley, and the men had just enough time to get ready. There was a strategy. His father and Rran had spent hours sitting at the mouth of the cave and talking about how they should do it for the last few days.

But for Sawy, left behind to watch the fight from their shelter with the northern children and elderly, it was terrifying.

It looked like chaos, the men and women down there looking like ants compared to the giant, enraged mammoth. It wasn’t healthy, limping for one of its hind legs - the perfect animal to separate from the horde. 

That alone was almost as dangerous as the rest of it.

Some men were hiding out in the mountain side in the narrow exit of the valley, waiting until all the mammoths were through, except for that one. The animals were fierce and would double back to protect their weak if allowed.

It all hinged on the timing. At the right moment someone gave the sign, a shout, and just like that, those in waiting started pushing down large rocks and boulders, startling the mammoths into running and making the sick one pull to a stop. There was one that almost turned back when it saw its brethren surrounded by the hunters, but some of the men cut it off. They were northerns, as far Sawy could see from the distance. The people started shouting, their voices echoing like the roar of lions from the walls of the valley until the mammoth turned to run, leaving its herd behind.

He didn’t want to imagine what would have happened if the plan backfired. If they moved the boulders too soon, trapping more than one of the behemoths. In the best case, the hunt would have been unsuccessful, in the worst…

But, the injured mammoth was finally alone. It couldn’t rear up to its hind legs thankfully, but it still fought, throwing its head from side to side, sending someone flying with its trunk. Sawy watched with his breath stuck in his chest, but the figure got up and joined the group again, taking their place in a large circle around the animal.

They tired it out, someone always darting close for a stab with a long spear while the mammoth was looking the other way. It tried to break away a few times, but - as his father told him - mammoths were not fond of loud sounds, and they always managed to scare it back into their circle with a scream.

The northerns were very good at that, their voices deeper and louder, like sudden thunder in the night, or the Lionman himself… 

Sawy couldn’t do anything else than watch as the snow slowly turned red around the mammoth with, his hand clutching at his necklace, praying for the protection of the hunters.

It took hours to kill the animal. From this distance, he couldn’t see who was the one who made the final stab, but even on his perch he heard the mammoth fall, the thud of its giant body reverberating of the walls of the valley.

The hunters cheered, and Sawy could finally breath again.

 

***

 

According to his father, it was a rare occasion when a mammoth hunt had no casualties. Just last year their tribe lost a strong hunter, and the northerners another. But the Lionman had been merciful, protecting them this season.

Everyone, children and old alike treked down to help. Now that the mammoth was killed, the hard work began. Sawy might not have been good with hunting, but he was good at other things. Skinning, especially, and was there a lot of fur to strip away.

Even though he already knew that no one was seriously hurt, he couldn’t help going around, patting everyone on the back, just to make sure. Their tribe was as close as a family and he couldn’t bear the thought of losing someone. The northern people grew on him too, in the last few days. They might have been a bit different, but they were good people, generous and kind.

Rran was the last he checked, and for a moment or two he had a hard time finding the man. He didn’t want to examine why his belly got so twisted when he couldn’t see him anywhere.

In the end Sawy spotted him sitting on a rock a bit farther, and he made his way over with his heart beating double. When he saw the bloody scrapes on his brow and the already purpling bruise on his jaw he suddenly remembering that one hunter that was sent flying.

“Rran? Are you… well?” he asked hesitantly. His tongue had a hard time forming the language of their hosts, especially now.

The man nodded, getting up, but he swayed on his feet dangerously, and might have fallen if not for Sawy putting an arm around his waist.

He was heavy, but that was okay, because Sawy was already calling for help.

 

***

 

Rran cracked a rib or two.

He didn’t break them, but it was still serious enough that he had to be helped up the hillside to the cave. Sawy had no idea why he volunteered to stay and care for him, but he did, even if it made his father look at him funny. He knew it was the right thing to do.

The cave was quiet with everyone down working on processing the mammoth. The meat would be covered in snow to freeze and keep longer, the skin had to be cut up into manageable pieces, the bones cleaned… Sawy felt a bit guilty for not helping, but he knew he could put in his fair share later. Someone had to make the knives and pins and tools out of those bones, after all.

They laid Rran down towards the back, covering him with furs because it got chilly when immobile, even though it wasn’t that cold inside with the fire burning. All the while the hunter acted like he was just humoring them.

Sawy had no idea what he was doing here. He just sat there, looking at the gentle rise and fall of Rran’s chest. He seemed to be napping, which was good. He needed to rest. Sure, Jano said that the northern people were better with pain, what’s more, that they healed a bit faster, but that had to be just a tale. 

Sawy was worried. He couldn’t help thinking about it, the sight of that tiny figure sailing through the air as the mammoth slapped him away like he was no more than a fly. It could have ended so much worse… Just looking at those bruises made his belly churn with the knowledge of what could have happened.

He didn’t want to think about it. He wanted to play his flute and have everyone he held dear sit around the fire safe and comfortable. But he also didn’t want to wake Rran.

Except that the man was looking at him, blue eyes heavy lidded, reflecting the light of the fire like a lake in the setting sun.

“Come,” Rran murmured, flipping the furs up.

Sawy blinked.

“Are you cold?” he asked carefully. He… He did kind of want to… But Rran was hurt, his comfort was the most important.

The man smiled. It was a bit lopsided and endearing.

“Yes, if you come,” he said, and… who was Sawy to say no to that.

He got out of his thick skins, only leaving the finer, inside leather clothing on and shuffled in next to Rran, trying to be careful of his injury. The man huffed, pulling the covers back over them and sneaking his arm under Sawy to pull him closer.

It was warm. Rran had a wide chest and wide shoulders, just right to rest his head on. He smelled like sweat and warm leather. In a few moments they were both asleep.

 

***

 

It took them almost four days to strip the carcass of the mammoth off everything useful. They dried the skins by the fire and cleaned the bones that could be used.

They made a big, celebratory meal out of the parts that wouldn’t keep, the liver, the brain… Rran and his father shared the heart, not able to decide who made the kill but not really caring for the honor.

It was one of the best nights of Sawy’s life. Sure, they had their own celebrations back with their tribe, but he’d never been on a mammoth hunt. The food was just so…  _ plentiful _ . It was mind boggling. 

The northerns shared their stock of roots and dried fruit to go with the meal and Sawy played his flute after everyone was full. The cave was filled with the sound chatter and laughter with the children who never heard a flute before sitting around him with awe.

He still couldn’t help his eyes from searching out Rran from time to time. The northerns were amazingly tough - the man was already up and moving despite his injury, like nothing happened. It didn’t make any sense, but it made Sawy proud, even though he had no part in it.

Still, he quickly averted his gaze when the hunter caught him looking, but it was too late, because the man made his way over, sitting down beside him. It was obvious that the children loved him, looking at him like he was a hero. Sawy didn’t want to empathize, but he certainly could.

Rran sat close, close enough that their shoulders brushed and he held his hand out expectantly. Sawy raised an eyebrow, but handed over his instrument. The delicate flute looked like a blade of grass in Rran’s large, rough hand.

The man examined it, running his fingers over the tiny holes, the cut of the mouth-piece.

“It’s from a vulture,” Sawy explained, feeling a bit dumb. What did Rran car about his silly toys? The man could kill a mammoth.

Rran hummed, then looked at the children with a wink before raising the flute to his mouth.

His first attempt made everyone turn around, cringing, the shrill sound echoing off the walls. 

There was a second of silence and then the children burst out laughing, and everyone followed. Jona was actually laughing so hard that he almost choked on something.

Sawy held out the longest, but then he saw the betrayed face Rran made at the flute, and he couldn’t help it either, doubling over with mirth.

He couldn’t remember ever having a better time.

 

***

 

Sawy was a bit a homesick - never having been apart from their land for so long - but at the same time he was reluctant to leave. He tried to convince himself that it was because Dari would be giving birth in two moons, but well. There might have been other things that made his hands heavy as he packed his bag.

It had to be done. He put his things away and then went to the valley where the others were getting the meat ready. They cut it into huge chunks that froze solid outside and now they were packing them onto the makeshift sledges they put together from some wood and their share of the hide. In the snow they could easily pull it back home, providing their tribe with enough to survive the winter.

All the northerns came out to say their goodbye. Sawy was pretty sure that Jona would ask to take Taila with them - the pretty girl he’d been courting since they’ve arrived. 

His father was talking with Rran when he reached them, and to his surprise they seemed to be arguing. Jona, Dari and Taila were standing around them, his sister translating, because apparently both men refused to understand the other suddenly.

They didn’t seem to notice Sawy walking up to them.

“No,” his father said. He knew that tone. That meant ‘no’ no.

“For a season. You can have him back on the next hunt,” Rran said with a touch of growl in his voice. For once, it looked like he was the more reasonable, even though his father was usually very level-headed.

Oh. Rran probably wanted Jona to stay instead of letting Taila go. It made sense. She was a good hunter, and the northerns had less people. Though, honestly, it was customary for the women to leave their family and build a new one. Grandmother said it was because women were better at learning their way around a new place.

“He has no reason to stay. And we need him home,” his father bit out.

Now, that was just not true.

“Of course he has a reason to stay! He likes her,” Sawy said, used to smoothing over conflict at home - being the least threatening in the family - but not used to everybody freezing and looking at him like he suddenly grew a pair of saber teeth.

“What?” he asked, feeling like he was a child again, shooed away when the adults were talking.

“Um,” Dari said, looking like she would start laughing hysterically, if she thought she could get away with it.

His father looked at him for a moment more before sighing in defeat.

“It’s not about Jona, we’re talking about you, Sawy.”

_ Oh _ .


	3. Chapter 3

For a few moments he had no idea what to do with that information. Did… did Rran want him to stay? Or was it just the northerns way of ‘trade’ for Taila?

He looked at the hunter, but the man wouldn’t look at him, staring forward with a mulish expression.

“Well… well, I haven’t actually been asked to stay?” he said, hesitating. Did the other tribe do it differently? It would have been weird if they thought his father could decide for him, he was old enough to father children himself.

Now everyone was looking at Rran. 

To Sawy’s surprise the hunter seemed a bit flustered under the attention. He huffed out a deep breath and turned to Sawy, looking like he was about to fight a tiger.

“Will you stay?” he asked, the words of their language falling strangely from his lips.

He had no idea what to say to that.

Asking someone to move to another tribe was… was part of courting. Even if it didn’t work out and he returned home or if he ended up with someone else, this was  _ important _ . He couldn’t remember a man having been asked by a man - certainly not in his lifetime. Not like there was anything wrong with that, it was just… a bit out of the ordinary.

“I… why?” he couldn’t stop the question from escaping. It wasn’t like… he did kind of noticed that Rran was sometimes looking at him a bit too long, searching out his company… but it just seemed so unbelievable that a man like him could want… Well, someone like him.

Rran frowned, apparently searching for words with frustration.

In the end he just sighed.

“Stay. Until next hunt,” he said, looking at Sawy like he should be understanding.

He didn’t understand anything, but still. He knew that he wanted to see what all of this meant.

“Alright,” he said, feeling a bit shaky, but when his father just shook his head with a fond smile, he knew it would be okay.

***

It was the strangest thing, watching his father and their tribe disappear in the distance. He knew Dari was still here, and that he would be useful, able to help her with the baby. It didn’t mean he wasn’t any less scared of the uncertainty. 

Rran hadn’t talked to him since he said yes, and it was starting to drive him mad. Was he misunderstanding things? Maybe they just needed a good craftsman. 

“Come on, little brother, it’s getting cold,” his sister told him gently, pulling him into the cave. The space was almost empty with so many people leaving, and quiet with only the occasional words of the northerns language that was still unfamiliar to his ears.

Rran was sitting with the other hunters by the fire, talking to them in a low voice, not even looking over.

“Maybe this was a mistake,” Sawy said quietly, so only Dari could hear.

She shook her head.

“It’s been an exhausting day. Come and sleep. Everything will look much better tomorrow,” she said, a lot more cryptic than usual. Sawy nodded. If he felt the same way tomorrow he could probably still catch up the others.

***

He was bundled up right next to his sister when someone shook his shoulder. Sawy’s eyes snapped open, only to see Rran standing above him.

“Come,” he whispered, and even though Sawy would have liked an explanation first, he couldn’t find it in himself to say no.

The man made him leave his thick skins behind, pulling him towards the end to the cave with a torch in his hand. The light of the fire was shaky on the walls, casting dancing shadows in their wake.

Sawy did explore the place during their stay, but he didn’t know about the narrow tunnel opening up at the side. It was barely wide enough to fit Rran, but the man moved like he’d made the way countless times. His hand was warm around Sawy’s wrist as he led him along, firm but gentle. 

The pathway continued for a long time, but not long enough to make him worry, and suddenly the space opened up again, revealing a large chamber. The air was thick and wet, and Sawy quickly understood why when Rran stepped to the side and he could see the steaming lake that started just a few steps away.

He knew of warm springs around where they lived - they used them often - but had no idea that one was hiding out here, this deep in a mountain. It explained why the otherwise large cave wasn’t freezing cold with only a single fire burning.

“Come,” Rran told him again, sticking the end of the torch into the soft, wet sand near the wall. Sawy could see soot on the rocks from previous visits.

He didn’t have much time to look around, because Rran was pulling him close, thick, blunt fingers working on his thin skins. Sawy had no idea what to do with his hands, feeling suddenly nervous. It wasn’t like he hadn’t been naked around others before. Back home, in the summer they would go out to the lake to wash and play around, but that was different. This felt… intimate.

The firelight played tricks in Rran’s eyes, making them look yellow and green and bright like ambers.

Before he noticed, his clothes were stripped away, and he was standing there, bare and vulnerable, feeling like a skinned hare. Sawy swallowed, stepping away and turning to the water. Maybe he should have returned the favor and helped the man undress, but he wasn’t sure he could make his hands still enough for the task.

He dipped his toes into the water, hissing at the first touch. It was hot. Hotter than the one they had at home. Sawy was just trying again when he felt a warm, hard body behind him. Rran put his hands on his shoulders, smoothing his rough palms down his arms. There were goosebumps breaking out on his skin in their wake.

“It’s good,” Rran said, pushing him gently forward.

“I…” he didn’t know what he wanted to say, so in the end, he didn’t say anything. Rran was right. The first dip had been shocking, but the second time around the water didn’t feel unbearable. It was just hot enough to make his whole body tingle.

The lake deepened quickly, and in a few steps they were in up to their chests. Sawy didn’t know if he should turn around.

He didn’t need to. Rran held him in place with a hand on the back of his neck, scooping up water with the other to wet his hair. It took him a second to understand what was going on. The hunter was washing him, slow and careful, rubbing the dirt and dust out of his hair, off his skin. There weren’t many opportunities to get clean in winter, not when it was hard enough to stay warm even in thick skins, but it was different here.

Sawy could feel himself going boneless. There was a certain sense of comfort in someone grooming him so kindly that had his knees go weak.

Rran was humming under his breath, and when he turned Sawy around, he went with it willingly, eyes closed. The hunter washed his face, tracing his thumbs over his brows, the slope of his nose, the bow of his lips… It made Sawy smile.

He looked at Rran, when the man’s hands finally stilled, cupping his neck. He’d never seen that expression before. Rran’s face was soft, lips slightly parted and his eyes… Sawy didn’t think he would ever tire of them.

“Here,” he said quietly, pulling Rran’s hands away from himself as he got to work, trying to give him what he was given. 

The hunter smiled when they both realized that Sawy couldn’t reach the top of his head, small but smug. It looked good on him. But he still got a swat on his arm for being so unnecessarily tall.

Rran just snorted and ducked under the water, making him laugh. The sound echoed around in the cave. He only laughed harder, when the man finally resurfaced, all that blond hair sticking to his face. Like the swamp people Grandmother liked to scare them with.

Sawy didn’t feel nervous anymore. Yes, there was a low, insistent heat gathering in his belly, but like this, laughing and grooming each-other it didn’t feel so urgent or heavy. 

They ended up playing in the hot water for a long time, splashing around. He hoped they didn’t make a ruckus big enough to wake the others, he was pretty sure Dari would have his head.

They were all wrinkly and out of breath by the time they got out, collapsing on the shore and just waiting to dry. It was comfortably sandy, the air warm enough to keep them from getting cold.

Rran turned on his side, leaning over Sawy. His face was full of shadows, but he could still see it coming when he moved in, kissing the corner of his mouth. It was almost chaste, and sweet like peaches in the summer.

There was a hand on his hip, petting the thin skin stretched over his bones. It made him shiver. Rran kissed his cheek next, then his brow, the line of his hair, peppering them him with those soft lips, rubbing his nose under his ear.

Sawy was getting hard. It wasn’t surprising, but he was still taken aback by the heat of it. He didn’t remember ever wanting someone this much.

It ended too quickly, Rran pulling back, eyes unreadable.

“Come,” he said, getting up in one fluid motion and swiping the sand off his skin. He was all muscles. Chest hairy and wide, shoulders even wider. Sawy thought that he would be happy just to look at him all day. In the tricky light, he couldn’t tell if Rran was as affected as he was, but there was a certainty under his breastbone now, one that wasn’t there before.

He got up and dressed, skin feeling brand new after the good soak, then followed the hunter. He already knew the way, but didn’t pull away when Rran took his hand again.

***

Rran didn’t take him back to his sister, instead they went to his own sleeping place. Everyone seemed sound asleep, except for a couple fucking in the corner. The woman was making light, breathy noises, and it just made Sawy harder.

He had never been with a man before like that, but right now… now he wanted it.

Rran’s hold tightened on his wrist, like he was afraid Sawy would run, so he put a hand on his back, rubbing up and down until the tension left his body.

They got under the furs quickly, turning towards each other. This time, Rran’s hands were impatient as they stripped him, working quickly to loosen his thin skins. And this time, Sawy helped, shimming out of them and then returning the favor.

Their foreheads were pressed together, trying to keep the cold from getting under the covers while getting naked as fast as possible. Sawy laughed, a bit high and breathless as their heads knocked together in the hurry.

When they were finally bare with only the soft furs above Rran pulled him close, strong arms grasping on him in something close to desperation. Sawy never felt his heart beat so fast, it wasn’t fright though, it was hot and wild and demanding. He gasped when their cocks rubbed together hard and leaking. He had to reach down and touch, to feel it in his hand. Rran growled when his fingers tightened around the hunter’s erection. He was big. Big and thick and veiny. He didn’t think about anything as he started playing with it, he just… he just wanted the man to feel good. He wanted to feel good too.

But Rran wasn’t touching him. At least not there. He reached out from under their shelter, making Sawy shiver at the burst of cold. 

“What are you doing?” he whispered, scooting closer. Rran just mumbled something, but when his hand returned, thick fingers sliding between his asscheeks, they were slick. It was a shocking feeling, making him gasp for breath. He squeezed Rran’s cock a bit too tight, getting a hiss in return.

“S… Sorry,” he said, the word dying on a moan as the hunter rubbed his blocky finger against his hole.

“Shh… You are good, so good…” Rran told him, voice deep as he buried his face in Sawy’s neck, mouthing at his pulse. 

When his finger slipped in, Sawy jerked with it. It was a strange feeling, burning but not painful. Rran waited until he relaxed and then started to move his finger. It was… He didn’t…

He had to bite the man’s shoulder to keep from crying out, but it only seemed to spur the hunter on, his hand moving faster, rubbing his insides with his finger until Sawy thought he was going to die from… from something.

All he could do was clutch Rran’s shoulders and tremble as the man slowly worked another digit into him. It was a tighter fit, making it hard to breath for a second. Rran had thick, blunt fingers, rough with callouses, and Sawy could feel every inch of hardened skin massaging him from the inside.

The man held him close with his other hand, shushing him and murmuring into his ear. Sawy was past the point of understanding the words, but it didn’t matter. That low, raspy voice was enough to keep him together.

Rran twisted his wrists, and just like that, he felt his back arch with pleasure he never knew existed. He could hear the person sleeping closest rumbling something in their sleep, roused a bit by his gasping, but he couldn’t stop making noises.

The hunter kept pushing inside him, fucking his hole with his fingers until Sawy felt like he was going to melt and then pulled out - he didn’t expect the sudden sense of loss that came with it.

Rran turned him around, his hands holding Sawy’s hips almost painfully tight, pulling him back and thrusting his cock against the crack of his ass. 

He knew that was the way it was done, heard it in the night enough to understand what went on between two men finding comfort with each other, but that didn’t mean his heart wasn’t beating double. He opened his eyes, but there was nothing he could see, except for the wall of the cave. The torch Rran used had burned out, leaving everything blanketed in darkness.

He’d never been scared of the dark, but right now… When he was standing on the edge of such an unfamiliar depth, he wanted to have something familiar to keep him anchored.

His breath caught as Rran rutted against him, the head of his cock catching on his loosened hole.

“W-wait,” he said, though it was more like a whine.

Rran didn’t still right away, propelled forward by want, but he calmed down after a few seconds. He made an inquisitive noise, almost like a confused growl.

“Let me… I want to see you,” Sawy said, hoping that he didn’t ruin anything. Thankfully Rran just huffed out a breath, flipping him to his back and shifting above Sawy.

His hair fell forward, tickling his naked skin and eliciting a shiver.

Sawy put his arms around the hunter’s shoulders, feeling immediately comforted by the warm bulk of him. He couldn’t see Rran’s face in detail, but he would have sworn he saw the white of his teeth in a smile.

“Better?”

“Yes.”

Rran bent down, nosing along his neck. All Sawy could do was throw his head back and let him, pulse racing wildly. His legs parted on instinct, letting the man slot between them like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Rran reached down, guiding his cock back to Sawy’s ass. He didn’t push inside right away and just rubbed the fat head against his entrance, smearing him with the precome collected at the tip, making his hole even more slippery.

He didn’t expect it when Rran kissed him, his mouth hot and wet. It made his head lose focus for a second, and that was the moment when the man slowly but insistently pushed into him.

It hurt. Hurt enough that he bit Rran’s lower lip, tasting a tang of blood. They both stilled when the hunter was fully inside, panting heavily.

He couldn’t talk, body feeling too tight with something so huge filling him, even as the pain ebbed away. But that didn’t stop him from pulling back and blindly running a finger over Rran’s lips. That must have hurt - his mind supplied dumbly as it tried to work through the feeling of a cock inside him.

A chuckle was surprised out of him when Rran bit his finger playfully, but it died away quickly when the man circled his hips, his cock rubbing against his insides.

Sawy moaned, swallowing hard. Rran seemed to take that as a signal to move, pulling his hips back slowly and then pushing in, careful but relentless.

It was mindblowing. Sawy locked his legs over Rran’s hips, not sure if he wanted to hold him still or help him thrust deeper. It didn’t matter, his mind shutting down all reason, flooded by everything he was feeling.

It was amazing. He didn’t… He never thought it would feel like this. A small part of him told him that maybe it wouldn’t be, not with anyone else. 

Rran was grunting above him, sounding almost like an animal, being just as wild after he let go. His cock… His cock was doing wonderful things, splitting Sawy apart in the best way, making him see stars.

They were being noisy, he knew. They had to be, the both of them panting and moaning. Sure, everyone was used to the sounds of life in a cave, but in the silence it sounded like they were shouting. Rran got down to his elbows, grabbing at Sawy’s shoulders to keep him in place, strong hips slamming forward over and over until he knew he would have bruises.

He almost didn’t notice his orgasm approaching. It felt different, his own cock untouched and weeping between their bellies with only Rran’s hairy stomach to offer some friction. When he came, it bubbled out from inside him, like the pleasure was coming straight from Rran’s cock and pouring over him from there, unstoppable.

He threw his head back, this time biting his own lips to stop himself from crying out, whole body tensing as it happened, helpless and blind with pleasure. Rran growled, deep. Thrusting one, two, three more times before stilling, cock pushed as far as it could go.

Sawy could feel him, as he spilled inside, marking him where it would never fade.

He was near sleeping from exhaustion by the time the last waves of his orgasm died down, boneless. Sawy could feel it as Rran pulled out, reaching down between them to prod at his hole with his blunt fingers. It took him a second to realize he was checking to make sure that he was okay, and the realization made him smile sleepily and press a kiss onto the man’s arm as he turned to his side.

Rran murmured something, shuffling around until he was behind Sawy, pulling him close into the warm circle of his arms.

It was the best sleep he got since he could remember.

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me at udunie.tumblr.com
> 
> Comments are love and keep me healthy.


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